Web entrepreneurs race to tap into Aussie media and marketing community
The coming weeks will see a series of website launches aiming to create communities – and business models – tapping into the media, marketing and creative industry.
First cab off what may shortly be a crowded rank is likely to be Mediascope, a media directory service, which fully launches in November although it is already asking for listings.
The work of former Fairfax and News Ltd employee Denise Shrivell, it aims to offer an online directory of niche media properties. She told Mumbrella: “My aim with MediaScope is to provide our industry with a useful, value for money resource which solves an ongoing problem for both advertisers and media – a problem I have experienced from both sides of the fence.”
The listings will be a mixture of paid and free.
Also imminent is Mediacafe, which is positioning itself as a place for media planners, buyers and sellers to communicate.
The work of executive Chris Muir, boss of Sydney agency Smoke Signals, Mediacafe promotes itself as “a one-stop shop for media planners, buyers and sellers to communicate more effectively”.
According to a holding page on the site, media planners and buyers will be able to “contribute news, views, function photos and gossip”, while media sellers will be able to upload media kits and case studies.
Muir told Mumbrella that the launch would happen late this year or early next. He said the site would include the services offered by Mediascope” and a shitload more”.
Both services wil provide a rival for the already existing free directory MediaBizNet, which has been around for a couple of years. Mumbrella also offers a free directory service.
Another site set to launch into the space next month is called The Loop. The brainchild of former MTV execs Matt Fayle and Pip Jamieson, it describes itself as “a platform allowing creatives to publish free media-rich professional profiles”. The team behind it say they have already agreed partnerships with agencies, schools and professional associations.
Meanwhile, the existing trade press players have been working on giving their users the ability to talk about stories and tweaking their discussion policies.
B&T added a Disqus-powered forum to its website about three months ago.
And AdNewseditor Matt Porter announced during his sponsor speech to the Media Federation Awards earlier this month that a soon-to-be relaunched AdNews website will also have comment functionality.
Meanwhile, earlier this year the Campaign Brief blog introduced a policy that it will usually censor negative comments about campaigns if its sister site BestAdsOnTV gets to showcase the ads first.
Owner Michael Lynch told Mumbrella: “This been the case since August this year – we feel that if it’s good enough to be accepted on Bestads and potentially award-winning in most cases, then the creative doesn’t deserve to be slagged off anonymously on the blogs. However, if the subject of the ad is controversial – the latest TAC ‘The Ride’ for instance which pitted motorcyclists against the TAC and car owners – then it’s a free and open debate, anonymous or not.”
Lynch said he welcomed competition within the space. He said: “There could be room for more online launches, as long as they find a niche and can be advertiser funded, like the CB blogs and Bestads. In my experience, most people in the advertising world expect everything – like lunches – for free, including industry news and viewing new ads.”
Along with Mumbrella, other new players entering the market have included Media i, a year-old network of video screens placed inside many of Australia’s media agencies and operated by the team behind office screen network Executive Channel.
And earlier this year, online research firm Pure Profile said that it was recruiting what it intended to be the largest community of marketing, media and advertising professionals in Australia with a third of a million dollar investment.
Tim Burrowes founded Mumbrella in 2008. He worked on Mumbrella until 2021. At various points he was editor, content director and editor-at-large.
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topics
AdNews
B&T
Campaign Brief
Chris Muir
Denise Shrivell
Executive Channel
Matt Fayle
Matt Porter
Mediascope
Mumbrella
Pip Jamieson
Pure Profile
Smoke Signals
The Loop
media i is an idea i wish i’d thought of.
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awesome – even more places in which I can leave my humble opinion
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So in other words, Campaign Brief is pretending to hold a debate, but they’re refusing to allow negative comments about their mates?
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Hi Tim
Thanks for your mention of MediaScope – and for featuring the video – in all its glory 🙂
Here is the correct text link to http://www.mediascope.com.au
As your audience will see, MediaScope has several unique features, including its prime objective to connect ‘long tail’ traditional, digital and emerging media to advertisers, marketers and small business. We are not just aimed at the big traditional, end of town – and also plan to provide one core service well.
We think this makes us a complimentary resource to many of those you mentioned……..
Thanks (again)
Cheers – Denise
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Hi Denise,
Now amended (btw, if you talk nicely to your developer, they should be able to configure the site so it works with or without the www)
Cheers,
Tim
Thanks Tim – and I always talk nicely with my developer 😉
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Be interesting to see which businesses thrive. It is a little unclear from this piece what problem they each aim to solve.
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Campaign Brief just doesn’t get it. You can’t have a discussion where people are banned from saying negative things about his mates.
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